Hanco's Honey Green Tea with Lychee Jelly: I'm not homesick per se, but I do find myself frequently sad about the lack of good bubble tea options in NYC. I think I had 5 different bubble tea stamp cards in the bay area, and I only have one for NYC, at a bubble tea shop that closes at 8pm during the week (Mr. Wish). Given that most of my bubble tea purchases in Berkeley or SF were late night impulses, I don't get to drink much of it here. Hanco's, a Vietnamese sandwich shop close to me, has pretty bad boba from my previous experie... (read more)3.0/5.0

Annie’s Organic friends bunny grahams: When I first moved to Berkeley a few years ago, I was surprised to bike past the Annie’s corporate offices near 4th Street - I hadn’t previously known it was headquartered there. Berkeley is historically known for hippies, but now it’s too expensive for hippies to live there. Nonetheless, Annie’s seems to be riffing off that vibe with their psychedelic Bunny Graham friends mix containing all major flavors of their graham crackers. It leans pretty chocolately as it has both their chocolate an... (read more)3.5/5.0

Urban Foods Wild blueberry and honey superfood bites: I like these grain and fruit bites from Urban Foods, which are crunchier than energy chews, falling somewhere in between a chew and a crunchy granola bar in texture. They contain a mix of quinoa, flaxseed, and chia seeds. They’re just sweet enough, with a pleasant honey flavor that doesn’t dominate. If you’re into granola bars but wish they were a bit more snackable, give these a try. Purchased from Berkeley Bowl. 3.5/5.0

iTea Honey aloe green tea: At 30% sweetness, this drink still had a prominent but not overpowering honey flavor, but not as much tea as I would prefer. The aloe is gelatinous and plump, with a satisfying bite. Purchased at the iTea on Kearny in San Francisco, which I've found to be dependably good. 3.0/5.0

Calbee Honey Butter Potato Chips: Back when I lived in Cambridge, I frequently saw honey butter flavored potato chips on the shelves at HMart, and despite my proclivity for odd snacks, this is one I left untouched. Little did I know that in late 2014, honey butter chips set off a frenzy in South Korea, with convenient stores frequently sold out and single bags going for as much as $50 (a 2500% markup) on eBay (google the Munchies article to learn more). After hearing about this craze, my sister and I bought a bag from 99 R... (read more)1.5/5.0

Honeymee Honeymee Milk Ice Cream and Raw Honey: Honeymee's namesake dessert is a milk ice cream drizzled with raw honey topped with a cube of honeycomb, all served in a branded plastic cup. The milk ice cream is an excellent neutral base – creamy, barely sweetened, and aerated - the closest in texture to soft serve of any ice cream I've had. It makes eating the honey more manageable, but together, it's still overly sweet, especially if you leave the honeycomb until the end. You could just purchase the milk ice cream on its own, but wit... (read more)3.0/5.0